Type



Jan. 11, 1955 w. STASiKEWlCH 2,699,103

TYPE

Filed July 28, 1952 w mm fi f flv T E 7 fl W M a f fl EiL f i l I l 171129112 SZdSIKWI'GYI A TTOR NE Y United States Patent TYPE William Stasikewich, Princeton, N. J. Application July 28, 1952, Serial No. 301,357

2 Claims. (Cl. 95-85) This invention relates to a method of and means for producing graphical representations (such as hand lettering, type and printing) for reproduction in the preparation of advertising copy, and relates particularly to the resultant product of such method.

In preparing advertising copy for use in magazines, etc. it is customary for the draftsman to carefully prepare by hand the words and characters for use in the written legends. Such work is time consuming and expensive, and often the work of the lettering artist is not entirely satisfactory and must be revised. It is also known to employ photographic apparatus and specially designed costly machines to produce the advertising lettering lay-out.

An object of the present invention is to enable the economical and direct use of processed hand lettering without the aid of a camera, specially designed machines or expensive equipment in preparing advertising copy for reproduction or other uses in the graphic arts.

Another object is to provide suitable strips of very thin, flexible transparent adhesive tape individually provided with photographically reproducible lettering so arranged as to enable the overlapping of and connecting together of letters in adjacent strips in script style.

A further object is to provide a font composed of very thin, flexible, transparent strips of pressure sensitive adhesive tape, characterized by an adhesive which leaves no residue on the surface to which it is applied, whereby the strip can be reapplied as often as necessary and in as close proximity to adjoining letter-containing strips as desired, and further characterized by the use of an easily removable liner or backing material on the adhesive side of the strip to prevent undesired adhesion between stacked-up strips.

Briefly stated, the invention comprises a novel type useful for reproduction in the graphic arts, such as in the advertising field. In the invention, each character of the type is hand lettered or printed on an individual strip of very thin, freely flexible, transparent, normally tacky, pressure-sensitive adhesive tape. The transparent adhesive covers the entire tape strip except, if desired, for a small tab on the top to permit easy handling by the user. The individual type character is written or printed on the thin transparent carrier of the adhesive strip (preferably on the exterior surface thereof) with carefully designed connecting strokes in script style that Will connect properly to one another regardless of sequence when the two strips are partially overlapped. The carrier is a nonfibrous film, such as cellulose acetate, known as cellophane. The proper amount of overlap is readily ascertainable visually or can be done with a mechanical aid such as by vertical guide lines. The letters are overlapped consecutively.

The tape strip is so constructed that the transparent adhesive adheres more strongly to the transparent carrier of the tape than to any other surface to which the adhesive may be applied, as a result of which the strip can be used as often as desired without the adhesive 0&- setting, i. e., leaving any residue to the surface on which it may be applied. Because the adhesive is permanently tacky and pressure sensitive and is strongly bonded to the cellophane carrier, the tape strip may readily be applied to any surface by way of pressure and readily removed and used again. The very thin freely flexible tape strip enables overlapping and connecting together of letters on adjaent strips in script style. The nature of the tape strips also permits deliberate misalignment of the 'ice letters contained on the strips in order to obtain desired artistic effects in the words or titles or legends produced by laying the strips adjacent one another in a desired sequence or order. Because the strips are very thin, the photographically reproduced letters appear perfect to the eye of the observer, regardless of overlapping.

To facilitate handling and stacking of the individual letter tape strips without sticking to one another before usage, the tape is provided with an easily removable nonporous hard surface liner or backing on that side of the adhesive coating farthest removed from the transparent cellophane carrier of the tape. To use the tape strip, the liner is first stripped or removed from the tape by a tab at one end of the strip, after which the tape strip is ready for application to the paper or board on which the advertising lettering is to appear.

A more detailed description of the invention follows, in conjunction with a drawing; wherein Fig. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a single handlettered strip of tape embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 illustrates a front view of a plurality of handlettered tape strips of the kind shown in Fig. 1 which when properly put together and overlapped as in Fig. 3, form a word in script style.

Fig. 3 illustrates the manner of Fig. 2 to tion; and

Fig. 4 shows tape strips of the invention having a printed type as distinguished from the script style, and properly overlapped to form a legend suitable for reproduction.

Throughout the figures of the drawing, like parts are represented by like reference numerals.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows only one letter or character tape strip of a font, adapted primarily for graphic reproductions in the preparation of advertising lettering. The character n is illustrative of any hand lettering having carefully designed strokes at both ends of the letter for connecting with the hand processed lettering of similar adjacent tape strips when partially overlapped as shown in Fig. 3. The lettering is applied by an opaque ink, for example printing ink, to a thin freely flexible strip or sheet of transparent cellophane 10, preferably to the exterior thereof. The color of ink will depend upon the color of the surface to which the tape strip is to be applied bearing in mind that the colors are to be contrasting to facilitate photographic reproductions. Bonded to the other side of the transparent cellophane carrier 10 is a permanently tacky, pressure sensitive coating of transparent adhesive 12 which is continuonsly applied to the entire rear surface of the cellophane 10 to cover the entire width and length of the tape strip. The adhesive is firmly bonded to the nonfibrous cellophane carrier 10 so that the tape strip may be stripped from any surface to which it may be applied without delamination or offsetting of the adhesive, thus permitting the letter tape strip to be used again, if desired.

Below the letter is a horizontal guide 11 of opaque ink applied to the cellophane for enabling the alignment of the letters or characters on adjacent strips when placed together to form a word, legend or title. Vertical guide lines 13 applied with opaque ink on the cello phane inform the user of the tape strips of the proper amount of overlap for the adjacent strips, to thereby permit the carefully designed strokes in the letters to connect together in script style.

The tape is backed up by an easily removable light Weight liner 14 of a hard surface, non-fibrous, nonporous film material to prevent the surface of the adhesive 12 farthest removed from the cellophane carrier 10 from adhering, even to a small extent, to the cellophane if the tape is manufactured in roll form prior to the cutting of the individual letter strips. The use of the liner 14 also facilitates handling and stacking of the individual tape strips of Fig. 1, by preventing the strips from sticking to one another when filed in individual trays awaiting selection and usage. The liner is stripped from the tape strip immediately prior to usage and forms no part in the composing of words.

One end of the tape strip, preferably the top, is provided with a tab 15 in the form of a narrow strip of of overlapping the letters produce a lettering suitable for reproducpaper or liner adhering to the adhesive coating 12 but spaced from liner 14 to enable easy stripping of the liner 14 from the tape strip. The tab also prevents one end of the strip from adhering to the fingers of the user while engaged in the process of aligning the individual hand processed letters to form words.

The overall thickness of the individual tape strips of the invention is generally of the order of .005 inch. Because of the thinness of the strips, the overlapping Will not show in the graphic reproduction process. The ends of the connecting strokes of one letter will be concealed by a portion of the letters of adjacent strips.

Fig. 2 illustrates a series of selected tape strips of the invention chosen to form the word bargain when placed together side by side in overlapping relation as indicated in Fig. 3. All tape strips shown are of equal length. The tabs of Fig. 1 have not been illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 in the interest of simplicity of the drawing. It should be understood that the tape strips of Figs. 2 and 3 are constructed in the manner above described in connection with the tape strip of Fig. 1.

An inspection of Fig. 3 fails to disclose one of the vertical guide lines 13 of the intermediate tape strips. The reason for this is that these lines are concealed by the edges of the overlapping adjoining tape strips.

In preparing the lettered word of Fig. 3, each letter or character strip is first stripped of its removable liner 14 before being mounted on a suitable smooth surface. The first letter strip b is overlapped by the second letter strip a; the second letter strip a is overlapped by the third letter strip r, and so on. The letter strips are thus overlapped consecutively. The horizontal guide lines 11 enable vertical alignment, or if desired, deliberate misalignment of the letters to provide a desired artistic effect. When the word or title has been set down as shown in Fig. 3 and is satisfactory in style, appearance and size of type to the lay-out artist, the lay-out is then ready for transfer to the surface from which reproductions will be made. The operation of raising or stripping the word lay-out for transfer purposes (in Fig. 3, bargain), should be such as not to disturb the appearance of the letters. The raising of the word should start from the first character or letter and pulled up. The other letters in the word will cling to one another, because of the overlap, and permit the lettering lay-out to be raised or removed as a single unit. The type of adhesive to be used and the construction of the tape to prevent leaving a residue on the surface on which it is mounted is well known on the market. A paper cut-out 17 inserted beneath the fiirt tape strip facilitates easy stripping of the completed word or legend. If desired, the tape strips can be placed directly on the surface or drawing from which reproductions will be made, thus obviating the need for transfer of the lettering to another surface.

Where more than one word is used in the lay-out, blank tape strips are employed for word or letter spacing. The blank tape strip will overlap the others, in the same manner as shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 4 illustrates a lay-out of tape strips in which the letters or characters are in print style, though hand processed. The tape strips are shown provided with cut marks or lines 18 on both sides of the letters to guide the artist in cutting the letters with a knife, where it is desirable to fit the legend into a small space. The

distance between the cut marks can of course, vary to suit the user. If desired, several different cut marks in parallel relation can be provided.

In the practice of the invention, the letters or characters may be hand drawn or printed on the cellophane so as to space them equal distances from one onother in the same row or line. Cutting knives are used to cut the tape into letter tape strips of equal length with each strip containing a single letter or character. This cutting operation is done after the liner and the tab are placed on the tape.

The printed or hand processed tape strip characters may be sold individually or in font form with the necessary duplication of each letter. Replacements will of course be available. The individual tape strip characters are preferably offered for sale and/ or used in trays or boxes individually labeled with the character which the tray accommodates.

I claim:

1. An improved type strip for graphic reproductions comprising, a freely flexible carrier substantially completely covered on one side with a coating of pressure sensitive adhesive, a non-fibrous removable liner attached to that side of said adhesive coating which is opposite said carrier, said carrier having marked thereon in opaque ink a single character of type and a guide mark on said carrier for enabling alignment of other type strips, said adhesive coating being firmly bonded to the carrier and of such construction as to enable the strip to be removed from any surface to which it may be applied without delamination or offsetting of the adhesive, said strip having a height measured along the axis of said character which is appreciably greater than the width, said non-fibrous liner being non-adhesively secured to said adhesive coating solely at one end of said strip for a small area to form a tab easily grasped by the finger.

2. An improved type strip for graphic reproductions comprising, a freely flexible carrier substantially completely covered on one side with a coating of pressure sensitive adhesive, a non-fiibrous removable liner attached to that side of said adhesive coating which is opposite said carrier, said carrier having marked thereon in opaque ink a single character of type and a guide mark on said carrier for enabling alignment of other type strips, said adhesive coating being firmly bonded to the carrier and of such construction as to enable the strip to be removed from any surface to which it may be applied Without delamination or offsetting of the adhesive, said strip having a height measured along the axis of said character which is appreciably greater than the width, said non-fibrous liner being non-adhesively secured to said adhesive coating for a small area thereof to enable the liner to be easily grasped by the fingers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,258,146 Russell Mar. 5, 1918 1,612,267 Dickson Dec. 28, 1926 2,165,861 Krauter July 11, 1939 2,177,627 Drew Oct. 31, 1939 2,232,732 Rogers Feb. 25, 1941 2,591,779 Buck Apr. 8, 1952 

